Contact arrangement and counter-contact module

ABSTRACT

A contact arrangement for an electrically contactable module that is arranged on a card-shaped carrier, having a first contact bank with a plurality of contact areas, of which at least one is disposed outside of a predefined region. A second contact bank is provided having at least one contact area within the predefined region, and the contact areas of the first contact bank that are arranged outside of the predefined region are in each case electrically connected to contact areas of the second contact bank. 
     Consequently, for example, both chip cards according to ISO 7816 and multimedia card modules can be evaluated by a chip-card reader provided for evaluating ISO-7816 chip cards. At the same time, the ability of the MMC modules to be evaluated by an MMC-module reader provided for that purpose is retained.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a contact arrangement for anelectrically contactable module that is arranged on a card-shapedcarrier and has a contact bank including contact areas, as well as acounter-contact module.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Electrically contactable modules arranged on cardshaped carriers havebeen known for a long time in the form of so-called chip cards, e.g. asphone cards, Eurocheque cards, health insurance cards, or even asso-called key cards for car radios from the firm Blaupunkt-Werke GmbH.They are essentially made of at least one microchip, embedded into aplastic card of predefined dimensions, which can be designed as a memorychip and/or microprocessor chip. In the case of chip cards in accordancewith the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standard7816-1 and following, standards the contacts of a microchip embedded inthe card are connected to contact areas arranged on the top surface ofthe card. Thus, with the aid of counter contacts provided in a suitablechip-card reader, the module embedded in the plastic card can becontacted for the purpose of reading out its information, i.e. for theexchange of information between the module and the chip-card reader.

In the meantime, further chip cards, deviating from the ISO 7816-1standard and following, have become known, e.g. in the form of themulti-media-card (MMC) of the Siemens firm. These differ from thoseaccording to ISO 7816-1 and following,,due to their arrangement of thecontact areas which is different from the contact arrangement stipulatedin ISO 7816-2.

Furthermore, counter-contact modules for use in chip-card readers areknown which, because of their arrangement of the counter contacts, aresuitable for the evaluation of chip cards according to the ISO 7816standard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a contact arrangement for anelectrically contactable module, arranged on a card-shaped carrier,having a first contact bank with a plurality of contact areas of whichat least one is disposed outside of a predefined region. According tothe present invention, the contact arrangement has the distinctions thata second contact bank having at least one contact area is providedwithin a predefined region, and that contact areas of the first contactbank which are arranged outside of the predefined region are in eachcase electrically connected to contact areas of the second contact bank.

The contact arrangement of the present invention has the advantage thateven those electrically contactable modules whose contact arrangementdiffers from a predefined contact-area arrangement are easily adaptableto the predefined contact-area arrangement. Thus, such modules ofstandard evaluation units which are adjusted to the predefinedcontact-area arrangement are contactable, as well.

In particular, the present invention allows, for example, the contactingand evaluation of or communication with the indicated multi-media cardby a chip-card reader provided for chip cards according to the standardISO 7816-1 and following standards.

In addition, the present invention renders possible the contacting ofthe indicated multi-media card both with an ISO 7816 chip-card readerand with a chip-card reader provided for multi-media cards, since thepresent invention permits the adaptation of the contact areas of the MMCcard to the ISO 7816 standard, while retaining the MMC contact-areaarrangement.

A counter-contact module according to the present invention isadvantageously designed for contacting a contact arrangement of thepresent invention, using a corresponding arrangement of the module'scounter contacts.

Such a counter-contact module can easily be produced from a conventionalcounter-contact module for contacting, for example, ISO7816 contactarrangements, by stringing on a further counter-contact submodule. Adovetailed groove recessed into a side wall of the counter-contactsubmodule, as well as a dovetailed tongue premolded onto a correspondingopposite side wall of the further counter-contact submodule to be addedon represent an advantageous construction of means for cascading thecounter-contact submodules. Locating pins which are premolded on a sidewall of the counter-contact submodule, thus, of an ISO 7816counter-contact module, for example, and which engage with locating boreholes in an opposite side wall of the counter-contact submodule to beadded on, represent further advantageous stringing means. They permitprecise alignment of the top surfaces of the submodules, so that theyare in alignment with each other, and the counter contacts lie in aplane parallel to the top surface. At least one locking hook which isarranged on the top side and/or the bottom side of the counter-contactsubmodule, and which engages with at least one corresponding recess inthe top side and/or bottom side of an attached further counter-contactsubmodule makes it possible to fix in position and stabilize acounter-contact module composed of counter-contact submodules, and thusthe position of the contact rows and contact clearances relative to eachother.

Means arranged on the top side of a counter-contact submodule, e.g. inthe form of detent hooks, in conjunction with detents for the latchtypeassembly of counter-contact elements, permit easy retrofit capability ofindividual counter-contact elements, accompanied at the same time byreliable and positionally accurate fixation of the counter-contactelements utilized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the contact bank, i.e. the contact areas of a chip card inaccordance with ISO 7816-1 and following standards.

FIG. 2 shows an ISO 7816 chip card having a typically formed contactbank, using a Eurocheque card as an example.

FIG. 3 shows a multi-media card having a contact-area arrangement whichwas measured on an actually existing specimen.

FIG. 4 shows a projection of the contact areas of an ISO 7816 chip cardand a multimedia card one upon the other.

FIG. 5 shows a contact arrangement according to an embodiment of thepresent invention which meets both the ISO 7816 standard and the MMCstandard according to FIG. 3, determined by measuring, and thus iscontactable both with an MMC reader and an ISO 7816 chip-card reader.

FIG. 6 shows a counter-contact module according to an embodiment of thepresent invention which is suitable for use in a chip-card reader forthe alternative evaluation of chip cards having different contact banks.

FIG. 7 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a counter-contact modulecomposed of two submodules.

FIG. 8 shows an intersection through a submodule of the counter-contactmodule according to the further exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 9 shows a third exemplary embodiment for a counter-contact modulewhich can likewise be composed of two submodules.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Chipcards along the lines of the ISO standard 7816 belong to the groupof identification cards as they are defined in the standard ISO 7810“Identification Cards—Physical Characteristics”. This standard specifiesthe physical characteristics of identification cards, including thematerial properties such as flexibility, temperature stability anddimensions for three different sizes of cards (ID-1, ID-2 and ID-3). TheID-1 card, as is in wide-spread use today as a card for paymenttransactions such as the credit card and Eurocheque card, forms thebasis for the chip-card standards ISO 7816-1 and following standards.

Such a chip card includes in the card body an integrated circuitprovided with elements for data transmission, storage of data andprocessing of data. In this context, the data can be transmitted eithervia the contacts at the top surface of the card, or else in acontactless manner through electromagnetic fields.

The essential characteristics and functions of chip cards are stipulatedin the ISO Standards of Series 7816.

FIG. 1 shows a plan-view cut-away portion of a chip card 100 inaccordance with ISO 7816.

The chip card is provided with a front edge 130, based on insertiondirection 110, and a right edge 120, designated in ISO 7816 as upperedge, the position of contact areas 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107and 108, which are arranged on the top side of the chip card in a mannerthat they are accessible from the outside, being indicated in ISO 7816-2relative to edges 120 and 130.

ISO 7816-2 specifies minimum dimensions of 1.7 mm×2.0 mm for contactareas 101 through 108. Distances 131, specified in the following table,of contact areas 101 through 108 from the front edge, and distances 121of the contact areas from the top edge represent the maximum measure,and distances 132 from the front edge and 122 from the top edgerepresent the minimum measure.

Distance 131 Distance 132 Distance 121 Distance 122 from front fromfront from right from right Contact edge [mm], edge [mm], edge [mm],edge [mm], Area max min max min 101 10.25 12.25 19.23 20.93 102 10.2512.25 21.77 23.47 103 10.25 12.25 24.31 26.01 104 10.25 12.25 26.8528.55 105 17.87 19.87 19.23 20.93 106 17.87 19.87 21.77 23.47 107 17.8719.87 24.31 26.01 108 17.87 19.87 26.85 28.55

Maximum measure for the contact areas are not defined by ISO 7816-2;however, it must be ensured that contact areas 101 through 108 areelectrically insulated from one another. As can easily be seen, maximumdistances 131 of contact areas 101 through 104 and minimum distances 132of contact areas 105 through 108 from the front edge of the chip card,as well as maximum distances 121 of contact areas 101 and 105 andminimum distances 122 of contact areas 104 and 108 from the top edge ofchip card 100 define a rectangular region 150 of 9.62 mm×9.32 mm, which,according to ISO 7816, is taken up by contact areas 101 through 108. Inconnection with the present invention, region 150 is also designated aspredefined region. ISO 7816-2 permits the contact areas to jut outwardlybeyond the predefined region.

Two adjacent contact rows 101 through 104 and 105 through 108,predefined in accordance with ISO 7816-2, have a center-to-centerdistance 139 of 7.62 mm in insertion direction 110; center-to-centerdistance 129 of two adjacent contact areas 101 and 102 transverse toinsertion direction 110 is 2.54 mm.

The Eurocheque card, shown in FIG. 2, whose contact bank 151, composedof contacts 101 through 108, has an area of approximately 11.7 mm (153)in the insertion direction and approximately 10.5 mm (152) transverse tothe insertion direction, represents a concrete exemplary embodiment ofthe above-described ISO 7816 chip card. Distances 131 of contact areas101 through 104 to the front edge and 121 of contact areas 101 and 105to the top edge are roughly 9.0 mm and 18.5 mm.

The outside dimensions of the depicted Eurocheque card in the ID-1format, which includes a magnetic strip 160 as an additional storagemedium on its back side, are approximately 85.5 mm (111) in theinsertion direction and approximately 54.0 mm (112) transverselythereto.

A multi-media card 200, MMC for short, of the firm Siemens shown in FIG.3 represents a chip card deviating from the 7816 standard. As in thecase of a standard chip card, the chip carrier, together with the actualchip, is formed as one unit on whose top surface the contact areas arearranged for contacting the chip. The chip carrier, as in the case of astandard chip card as well, is glued in place in a corresponding recessin card 200 in such a way that the top surface of the chip carrierterminates flush with that of MMC card 200, and the contact areas are onthe top side of the card.

The card has outer dimensions of roughly 24 mm (211)×32 mm (212), theupper left corner shown in the plan view being tapered by 4.0 mm×450°.The contact bank of the MMC card, designated in the following as firstcontact bank, is designed in the form of a first contact row, havingcontact areas 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206 and 207, which has a distance231 of 1.0 mm to the narrow front side 230 of the chip card. Contactareas 201 through 207 themselves have dimensions of 1.7 mm (221)×3.5 mm(231), and have a distance of 0.625 mm among one another transversely tobroad side 220 of the MMC card.

As can easily be seen from FIG. 4 showing the projection of the contactbanks of a chip card in accordance with ISO 7816 and those of the MMCcard one upon the other, both the contact areas 101 through 108 of theISO 7816 chip card and contact areas 201 through 204 of the MMC card liewithin the dimensions of predefined region 150. It may be that contacts201 through 204 of =the MMC card do not meet the requirements of the ISO7816-2 standard, however, they can be adapted to the ISO 7816-2 standardby slight broadenings.

Thus, an overlapping of first contact bank 201 through 207 of the MMCcard and of second contact bank 101 through 108 of the ISO 7816 chipcard exists in the region of contact areas 201 through 204 of the MMCcard and 101 through 104 of the ISO chip card.

Further contact areas 205 through 207 of the MMC card lie outside ofpredefined region 150.

To now provide the possibility of being able to evaluate an MMC cardboth with an MMC card reader and with a chip-card reader for chip cardsaccording to the ISO 7816 standard, it is proposed to arrange withinpredefined region 150 on the MMC card, a second contact row 105 through108 adjacent to first contact row 201 through 207 in such a way thatcontact areas 201 through 204 of the MMC card can be adapted to the ISO7816 standard by slight broadenings, and contact areas 105 through 108of the second contact row satisfy the requirements of the ISO 7816standard.

FIG. 5 shows an appropriate contact arrangement according to the presentinvention, implemented, for example, on an MMC card.

The contact arrangement of FIG. 5 includes a first contact bank havingcontacts 301 through 304 which result from an overlapping of contactareas 101 through 104 in accordance with ISO 7816-2 and 201 through 204of the MMC card, and which, in the area of region 150 predefined by ISO7816-2, meet both the requirements of ISO 7816-2 and the requirements ofMMC-card contact areas. Also provided is a second contact bank havingcontact areas 305 through 308 which likewise satisfies the requirementsof ISO 7816-2 with respect to their position. Contact areas 205, 206 and207 of the MMC card which lie outside of predefined region 150 are takenover unchanged (contact areas 315, 316 and 317), and thus continue toallow the evaluation of the MMC card by an MMC card reader. Tosimultaneously provide the ability of the MMC card, modified in such amanner, to be evaluated by an ISO card reader, contact areas 315 through317 lying outside of predefined region 150 are connected to contactareas 305, 306, 307 or 308 of the second contact bank via printedcircuit traces 311, 312, 313. Thus, all contacts of the MMC module arecontactable using MMC contact areas and ISO 7816-2-compatible contactareas alike.

The printed circuit traces are run along the top surface of chip card200, i.e. of the chip carrier.

The above-described exemplary embodiment relates to a modified contactarrangement for MMC modules. However, it is also equally conceivable to,for example, provide the contact arrangement, described above anddepicted in FIG. 5, on a chip card in accordance with ISO 7816. Thus, anISO-7816 chip-card is also evaluable both for ISO-7816 chip-card readersand for MMC card readers.

Furthermore, the present invention is also not restricted to producingcompatibility between the ISO 7816 standard and MMC. Rather, by suitablearrangement of a second contact bank within a region predefined by astandard such as ISO 7816, the present invention permits adaptation ofvarious contact arrangements to the standard. In this context, at most arestriction results due to different contact quantities, thus, forexample, when the contact arrangement to be adapted has more allocatedcontacts than the contact arrangement according to the standard.

Against the background of a contact arrangement 300 according to thepresent invention which is adapted for alternative evaluation by an ISO7816 chip-card reader or an MMC chip-card reader, FIG. 6 shows, by wayof example, a counter-contact module 400 having counter contacts 401through 408 and 415 through 417.

In this context, a separate counter contact 401, 402, 403, 404, 405,406, 407 and 408 of counter-contact module 400 is allocated to eachcontact area 301 through 308 of the ISO 7816 contact bank.Counter-contact module 400 is also provided with further contacts 415,416 and 417 which are allocated to contact areas 315, 316 and 317 of theMMC contact bank.

The same features as on contact arrangement 300 of the present inventionare applicable with respect to the alignment of the counter contactsrelative to each other.

Counter contacts 401 through 408 and 415 through 417 are in the form ofmetallic flat springs which, on their bottom sides facing the contactareas, have contact beads 410 for contacting contact areas 301 through308 and 315 through 317.

The counter contacts are secured in a carrier, in the present case, in aframe-shaped plastic carrier 430. In addition, printed circuit traceswhich produce an electrical connection between the counter contacts andan attachment plug are run in frame-shaped plastic carrier 430.

Thus, the counter-contact module described is suitable for use in achip-card reader for the alternative evaluation of chip cards havingdifferent contact banks, for example, of ISO-7816 chip cards, just as ofMMC chip cards. Adaptation to further contact banks is possible by anappropriate adjustment of the arrangement of the counter contacts withinthe counter-contact module, as well as the number of counter contactscontained in the module.

A further advantageous exemplary embodiment of a counter-contact moduleaccording to the present invention is depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8. In thiscase, counter contact module 400 is made of submodules 450 and 460 whichcan be strung together. Submodules 450 and 460 have essentially cuboidalbodies with a top side 451 and lateral surfaces 453, 454, 455 and 456.Projecting from top side 451 of first submodule 450 are two countercontact rows having counter contacts 401 through 408 for contacting thecontact surfaces of an ISO-7816 chip card, whose arrangement relative toeach other satisfies the requirements of ISO 7816 for that purpose.Counter contacts 401 through 404 are joined to soldered connections 421,422, 423, 424 which are brought out from side wall 453 standing parallelto first counter-contact row 401 through 404. In the same way, countercontacts 405 through 408 of second counter-contact row 405 through 408are joined to a second row of soldered connections, not shown in theFigure, which are brought out from second side wall 454 opposite firstside wall 453.

Like first submodule 450, second submodule 460 has counter contacts 415,416 and 417 for contacting further contact areas 205, 206 and 207 of anMMC module or 315, 316 and 317 of a contact arrangement of an ISO-7816chip card adapted to the MMC format. As in the case of the firstsubmodule, they are likewise joined to connections 425, 426 and 427brought out from first lateral surface 453 of the counter-contact-modulebody.

A third side wall 455 and a fourth side wall 456 of the cuboidalcounter-contact-module body have means for the side-by-side arrangementof counter-contact modules, e.g. for supplementing first counter-contactmodule 450 by a second counter-contact module 460 to form acounter-contact module 400 for contacting both ISO-7816 chip cards andMMC cards. In the present exemplary embodiment, these means are in theform of a dovetailed groove 458 milled out of fourth side wall 456 offirst submodule 450, and a dovetailed tongue 457 premolded on third sidewall 455 of second submodule 460, so that the two submodules can bestrung together by inserting dovetailed tongue 457 of second submodule460 into dovetailed groove 458 of first submodule 450. To add on furthersubmodules, in the present exemplary embodiment, the first submodule hasa further dovetailed tongue 457 on its third lateral surface, and secondsubmodule 460 has a further dovetailed groove 458 on its fourth lateralsurface 456. The measurements of the submodule bodies, particularly theposition of counter contacts 401 through 408 and 415 through 417relative to the third and fourth lateral surfaces, are dimensioned suchthat a counter-contact module 400 formed from second submodule 460 addedto fourth lateral surface 456 of first submodule 450 is suitable forcontacting both ISO-7816 contact arrangements and MMC contactarrangements; in particular, the contact distances stipulated by the ISO7816 and the MMC standard are observed.

FIG. 8 shows an intersection through first counter contact submodule450. Like remaining counter contacts 402 through 408, as well as countercontacts 415 through 417 of second submodule 460, counter contact 401 isin the form of a flexibly supported pin. For largely wear-free anddamage-free contacting of a corresponding contact area 101 or 301, thetip of counter contact 401 is rounded off or, as in the present case, isin the form of a hemisphere. Premolded around the shaft of pin-shapedcounter contact 401 is a rim 431 which is guided in a groove 432 of thecounter-contact-module body. The arrangement of rim 431 and groove 432permits movement of the pin in a direction perpendicular to module topside 451, and at the same time prevents counter-contact pin 401 fromfalling out of counter-contact module 450. To ensure reliable contactingof contact area 101 or 301 of a chip card 100 located overcounter-contact module 450, counter-contact pin 401 is pushed by ametallic spiral spring 433 in the direction of top side 451 ofcounter-contact module 450. In this context, the maximum deflection ofpin 401 is limited by the upper cover of groove 432. Soldered connection421 brought out from the counter-contact-module body forms the lowerabutment of spiral spring 433.

In FIG. 8, counter-contact module 450 is shown by way of example as anSMD (surface mounted device) component for solder-mounting on the topsurface of a printed-circuit board 440. Of course, other designs arealso theoretically possible, e.g., using a plug-in connection 420.

The counter-contact arrangement for contacting a contact arrangementaccording to the present invention, an ISO-7816 or an MMC contactarrangement can also be implemented in the form of a contact holderwhich is able to be freely fitted with counter contacts depending on theneed. For example, it could be designed in the form of the body ofcounter-contact module 450 which is able to be fitted as needed withsolder connections 421 through 427 and counter contacts 401 through 408and 415 through 417.

A third exemplary embodiment of a counter-contact module 400 of thepresent invention for contacting both ISO-7816 chip cards and MMC cardsis shown in FIG. 9.

The counter-contact module is made of two cuboidal, strung-togethersubmodules 450 and 460 which are constructed in an essentially identicalmanner and differ merely in the number of counter contacts 401 through408 and 415 through 417, or of the counter contacts which can bearranged on the module body.

For the side-by-side arrangement of submodules 450 and 460, they have ontheir third and fourth lateral surfaces, which are perpendicular to thecontact rows and first and second side walls 453 and 454, attachmentmeans in the form of bore holes 461 on third side wall 453 and locatingpins 462 on fourth side wall 454. Locating pins 462, in conjunction withlocating bore holes 461 for accommodating the locating pins, producemutual alignment of submodules 450 and 460 when they are arrangedside-by-side, so that top surfaces 451, as well as the first and secondlateral surfaces of submodules 450 and 460 are in alignment with eachother, thus, in each case form a common surface. The means for theside-by-side arrangement of the submodules also include means forinterlocking cascaded submodules 450 and 460 among themselves. In eachcase, these means are constructed in the form of a locking hook 465,arranged on top side 451 of submodules 450 and 460, which projects abovethe body of the respective submodule in the direction of its thirdlateral surface 455 and which, when the submodules are arrangedside-by-side and are aligned relative to each other perpendicular tofirst and second side walls 453 and 454, locks into a recess 464 in topsurface 451 of respective adjacent submodule 460. In this manner, thetwo adjacent submodules 450 and 460 are interlocked relatively to eachother by interlocking means 464 and 465. Thus, the distances of contacts415 and 404 are fixed relative to each other.

The submodules, at their top edges along first and second lateralsurfaces 453 and 454, have recesses 469 for receiving counter-contactelements 481. Also arranged on the top side of the submodules are means467, 468 for the latching-type mounting of counter-contact elements 481.These means are constructed in the form of angular detent hooks 467, afirst leg 467 a of the detent hook, which is disposed essentiallyparallel to top side 451 of submodule 450, 460, guiding counter-contactelement 481 in a direction perpendicular to top surface 451 of thesubmodule, while a second leg 467 b of detent hook 467 connects firstleg 467 a to the top side of the module body and produces a lateralguidance of counter-contact element 481 along first and second lateralsurfaces 453 and 454 of the submodule. The mounting means also include adetent 468 which is disposed on top surface 451 of the module body,immediately next to detent hook 467 on its open side. The detent effectsa guidance of counter-contact element 481 in the opposite direction tosecond leg 467 b of detent hook 467. The detent is arranged either atthe bottom side of the first leg of detent hook 468 or, as in thepresent exemplary embodiment, on top surface 451 of the module body.Thus, detent hook 467 and detent 468 form a channel 470 in which acounter-contact element 481 can be inserted in a latching manner. Theheight of the detent is preferably low with respect to the height,predefined by the thickness of counter-contact element 181, of secondleg 467 b of detent hook 467, so that by bending detent hook 467 upslightly, a counter-contact element can be inserted across the detentinto the opening of the detent hook. At the same time, the height ofdetent 468 is selected to be sufficiently great to preventcounter-contact element 481 from unintentionally sliding out from thedetent hook.

Counter-contact elements 481 are in the form of bent, metallicspring-type strips made of material with good electroconductive ability.In the region of the contact areas of the module to be contacted, theyhave a semicircular arching which is used as counter contact 401. Towardthe edge of module body 450, the spring-type strips are bent downward,thus toward bottom surface 452 of the module body, and change there intoconnections 421, in the present case for the SMC printed-circuit boardmounting.

The module body can also be designed without detent means 467, 468 forcounter-contact elements 481, and is then merely used, for example, as apositioning aid during the mounting of counter-contact elements 481 inaccordance with the stipulations appropriately applicable for thecontact arrangement of the present invention, and for supportingcounter-contact elements 481 against a pressure force exerted on countercontacts 401 by a chip card or MMC card to be evaluated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A contact arrangement for an electricallycontactable module that is situated on a card shaped carrier,comprising: a first contact bank including a plurality of first contactareas, at least one of the first contact areas being situated outside apredefined region; and a second contact bank including at least onesecond contact area situated within the predefined region; regionwherein there are at least as many second contact areas situated withinthe predefined region as there are first contact areas situated outsidethe predefined region, and each first contact area situated outside ofthe predefined region is electrically connected to one of the secondcontact areas situated within the predefined region.
 2. The contactarrangement of claim 1, wherein the predefined region is a regionspecified by standard ISO 7816-1 for contact areas of a contact bank. 3.The contact arrangement of claim 1, wherein: the first contact bankincludes: a first contact row, the first contact row having firstcontact areas adjacent to one another, a number of the first contactareas in the first contact row being within the predefined region: andthe second contact bank includes: a second contact row adjacent to thefirst contact row, the second contact row being situated in thepredefined region.
 4. The contact arrangement of claim 1, wherein theelectrically contactable module is at least one of a processor moduleand a storage module.
 5. The contact arrangement of claim 1, wherein theelectrically contactable module is an MMC module.
 6. A counter-contactmodule, comprising: a plurality of counter contacts for contacting anelectrically contactable module situated on a cardshaped carrier, theplurality of counter contacts contacting a plurality of first contactareas in a first contact bank, at least one of the first contact areasbeing situated outside a predefined region, the plurality of countercontacts further contacting a least one second contact area in a secondcontact bank, the at least one second contact area being situated withinthe predefined region; wherein there are at least as many second contactareas situated within the predefined region as there are first contactareas situated outside the predefined region, and each first contactarea situated outside the predefined region is electrically connected toone of the second contact areas situated within the predefined region.7. The counter-contact module of claim 6, further comprising submodules,the submodules including at least one counter contact.
 8. Thecounter-contact module of claim 7, wherein the submodules includejoining elements, the joining elements mounting in a latchtype manner.9. The counter contact module of claim 6, wherein each of the countercontacts includes a solder connection for a printed-circuit-boardmounting.
 10. A counter-contact submodule for forming a counter contactmodule, the counter contact module including a plurality of countercontacts for contacting an electrically contactable module situated on acardshaped carrier, the plurality of counter contacts contacting aplurality of first contact areas in a first contact bank, at least oneof the first contact areas being situated outside of a predefinedregion, the plurality of counter contacts further contacting at leastone second contact area in a second contact bank, the at least onesecond contact area being situated within the predefined region, each ofthe at least one first contact area situated outside of the predefinedregion being electrically connected to at least one of the at least onesecond contact area, the submodule comprising: joining elements forjoining at least one further counter-contact submodule to thecounter-contact submodule.
 11. The counter-contact submodule of claim10, further comprising: walls, including a third wall and a fourth wall;a dovetailed tongue situated on the third wall; and a dovetailed groovesituated on the fourth wall; wherein the dovetailed tongue and thedovetailed groove are adapted to engage dovetailed grooves and tongues,respectively, of further counter-contact submodules.
 12. Thecounter-contact submodule of claim 10, further comprising: walls,including a third wall and a fourth wall; at least one locating pinsituated on the third wall; and at least one bore hole situated on thefourth wall; wherein the at least one locating pin and the at least onebore hole are adapted to engage at least one bore hole and at least onelocating pin, respectively, of further counter-contact submodules. 13.The counter-contact submodule of claim 10, further comprising:interlocking elements, the interlocking elements mutually interlockingwith interlocking elements of a further counter-contact submodule whenthe counter-contact submodule and the further counter-contact submoduleare mounted in a side-by-side manner.
 14. The counter-contact submoduleof claim 13, further comprising: a top side; a bottom side, theinterlocking elements including: a locking hook situated on at least oneof the top side and the bottom side; and a recess situated on at leastone of the top side and the bottom side; wherein the locking hook andthe recess are adapted to engage a recess and a locking hook,respectively, of further counter-contact submodules.